Concaving machine



' 0a. 20, 1936. 1 SHAW I CONCAVINQ MACBINE Filed July 23, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Oct; w J, H

CONCAVING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 III Oct. 20, 1936. w J SHAW I 2,057,747

CONCAVING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Get. 20, 1936 warren srArEs PATENT OFFICE CONCAVING MACHINE New Jersey Application July 23, 1930, 'Serial'No. 470,034

11 Claims.

The present invention, though having also featuresof more general application, is more particularly related to machines for concaving woodheel blocks.

There is already on the market a heel-concaving machine provided with a jack that holds the heel block, and that is actuated continuously, relatively to a rotary concaving cutter, along a curved path corresponding to the edge contour of the attaching face, from one side of the breast of the heel to the opposite side of the breast of the heel. During this actuation of the heel along the curved path, the rotary concaving cutter cuts away successive portions of the attaching face. The cutting commences near the edge contour of the attaching face, at one side of the breast and continues, without interruption, along the attaching face edge contour, to the opposite side of the breast. The attaching face thus becomes concaved in a single, continuous operation. Two concave grooves are thus formed by the cutter in the attaching face, one along each side of the heel, the grooves being separated by a perceptible, central rib. This central rib is sometimes objectionableyand requires another operation to effect its removal.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved concaving machine of the above-described character that shall eliminate the said rib. Other objects will be explained hereinafter and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a perspective of a machine constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, parts being omitted and other parts broken away for clearness; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the same; Figs. 3., 4, 5 and 6 are sections taken, respectively, upon the lines 33 of Fig. 2, 44 of Fig. 3, 55 of Fig. 2 and 6-6 of Fig. 5, looking in the directions of the arrows, Figs. 5 and 6 being drawn upon 'a larger scale; Fig. '7 is a view showing the heel in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, also upon a. larger scale; and Figs. .8, 9 and 10 are similar views showing further steps in the operation.

The machine of the present invention is intended to cut away the attaching face portion 4 (Fig. 2) ,of a wood-heel block 2 so as to produce a concaving cut 6 (Fig. 6). The heel is first placed, with the attaching face portion 4 downward. upon a bed 8, and is clamped in position by jaws I28 of a heel-holding jack in the manner illustrated in Figs. l and2. The machine is then set'into operation. One corner52 (see more particularly Figs. 5 and 7) of the breast end a. of the attaching face of the heel is adapted to engage against a guide 56, positioned a'very small distance away from the active cutting edge of a rotary concaving cutter I 0, corresponding to the width of the rib 31 left along the edge-contour-'of the 'attachingface 4 (seealso Fig. 6). The heel is thenmoved about the rotary concaving cutter 10 in a curved path corresponding to the edge contour 50 of the attaching face 4 of the 'heel. The heel is shown in Figs. 5 and 7 just after it has left its initial position. With its edge contour 50 always in engagement with the'guideiiflthe heel is then actuated inthe direction of "thearrow -53 of Fig. 5, through the successive'positions'indicatedin Figs. 8,9 and 10. During this-movement of the heel, the rotary ooncaving cutter l0, situated adjacent to the path of movement of the edge contour of the attaching face 4 of the 'heel 2, outs away successive portions of the attaching face '4, as illustrated more particularly in the'saidFigs. '7'to 10, to form the concave groove -6. The cutting of the concave groove '6 by the cutter I0 commences at the corner "52 'of the breast end a of the attaching face of the heel, and continues without interruptionyalong the edge contour 50 of the heel, to the opposite "corner 54. During the advance of the heel 'from'the initial position (not shown) to the position of Figs. 5 and 7, the cutter II! has cutaway'the attaching face portion 4 of the heel along the boundary 11,17, 0, :d. In the position of Fig. 8,the wall c has advanced to e, and in the position of Fig. 9, to f. During the movement of the heel over the support or table 8, the cutter l0 follows the line b substantially parallel to the contour 50, first along one side of the heel, from the corner 52, then along the back of the heel, and finally along the other side of the heel, to the opposite corner 54.

The heel-holding 'jack is connected .by mechanism with a pattern or cam l2 (Fig. 1), having an edge contour corresponding substantially to the edge "contour of the attaching face portion 4 of the heel 2. The heel 2 is held by the heelholding jack in such position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, that its contour 50 will be more or less parallel to the-contour of the pattern or cam l2. The pattern or cam 12 is provided with gear teeth 24 "meshing with the teeth of a pinion 26 that is mounted on a spindle 28 provided with a pulley 30 that may be driven from any desired source of 'power.

ing the edge contour 'of the pattern to followf the guide 46 during the actuation of thepattern or cam I2. The idler roll 46, therefore, in conjunction with the pinion "26 and the springpressed roll 38, determines the path; of m ve; ment of the pattern or cam I 2 and, therefore, of the heel held below the cam I2 by the heelholding jack. This path of movement'is-such as to cause the heel to assume the successive positions illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10. The'pattern' or cam I2 slides during such movement in a housing formed in a hollowed-out section of a bracket or arm 5I. The upper and lower walls of the housing constitute guide plates between which the cam I2 moves. It has been found that a single cam I2 may be used with a wide variety of attaching face contours 59 and, indeed, with all attaching face contours that are met with in actual practice. This result is brought about by providing for a lost-motion connection between the-cam I2 (and the: heelholding jack carried thereby). and the guide. 56. The cutter I9 is mounted upon a ball-bearing spindle or shaft 99, providedwith a pulley 9|, over which passes a belt 93 that is driven from any desired source of power. The shaft 99 is perpendicular to the plane of movement of; the heel. 'The heel-holding jack isv carried by the pattern or cam I2, so as to move therewith, and may be so adjusted that the edge, contour 59 of a properly shaped heel, held by the heels holding jack, shall be brought into. contact with the guide 56; or, statedv more accurately, so that the edge contour 59 shall, during themovement of the heel, be spaced a constant distance, equal to'the thickness of the rib 3|, from the point where the cutter I9- commences to cut into attaching face 4. 1 s I An important feature of the present invention resides in the use of a cutter-I9 that shall not leave any rib in the concaved attaching face. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention that is hereinillustrated'and described, the cutter I9is mounted upon the extreme .end of the shaft 99, and has one or, more blades, as

the

shown, thatextend at least part way across the thickness of the shaft 99. The illustrated blades extend all the way across the thickness ,of the shaft 99, from the centeror axis I29 (Fig. 5) of the shaft to and beyond the outside. surface thereof. As a result of this. construction, each cutter blade, during a single revolution, [sweeps out over an area extending between the-boundaries b and def Fig. 7, for example. In Fig. 7, thepath traced by the. center or axis I29 of the cutter shaft 99, as the heel ismoved thereover, is indicated by the-line. I3I. Thelongitudinal center line of the heel is indicated a'tQI33. It :Will' be noted that the areatraced by thecutter, between the boundaries b and d, is greaterthan half the width of the attaching facef thus ,ex-

tending across the longitudinal center .line I33'of the'heel.

, Following out the path I3I traced by'the. axis I29 of the cutter shaft 99, as the'fheel is put through its motions, it will be noted that it crosses the heel center line I33 at I35, Fig. 8, and then continues on the other side of this center line I33, as shown at I31, Figs. 9 and 10. Theoretically, a rib might be formed at the intersection of the two curves produced when the axis I29 traverses the respective paths I3I and I31. According to the present invention, the formation of the rib is prevented by suitable shaping of the cutter blades. This is rendered possible, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, by the fact that, as before described, the blades extend at least part way across the thickness of the. shaft 99 a distance greater than the width of the attaching face. As before stated, theillustrated blades extend, not merely part way, but all the way, across the thickness of the shaft 99, from the center'or axis I29 of the shaft 99 to and beyond the outside surface thereof.

Theoretically, the cutter blades may be shaped in-the form of a continuous curve, but it might then become necessary to use a different-size blade for each different-size attaching face. A single-shape blade may be used for all heels met with in practice by flattening the blade slightly, in the neighborhood of the axis I29, as shown more particularly at I4I, Fig. 3. A blade so flattened will obviously produce a flat area for a small region on each side of the center. This region is bounded by the lines I43 and I45, Figs. 6 and '7, on each side of the line I3I and the line I45 lies beyond the center line I33 of the heel (Fig. 7), producing, ultimately, a single flattened region, symmetrically disposed with respect to the heel-center line I33. 'I'heultimate shape of the attaching face is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 10, the flattened portion being included within the dotted line I43, I41. This flattening is of no consequence for practical purposes. The important consideration is that the central rib has been eliminated, so that the curves of the cuts produced along the two sides of the heel merge smoothly into the flattened portion. 7

. In some cases, it is desirable to use a cutter of somewhat different size or shape. To this end, the cutter shaft 99 is provided with a terminally threaded, reduced portion 92. A shoulder I98 separates the reduced portion 92 from the main portion of the shaft 99. A cutter-blade-carrying collar 94 is threaded upon the reduced portion 92 and is held against the shoulder I98. To substitute one cutter for another, all that is necessary is to unscrew one blade-carrying collar 94 and to replace it by another. The table 8 is provided with a removable portion I48 to permit such replacement.

The cutter I9 is shown in Fig. 3 extending through an opening 2'98 in the table 8. It is desirable to adjustthe vertical position of the cutter I9 in theopening 298. This may be effected by longitudinally adjusting the shaft 99. To this end, .the shaft 99 is mounted in ball bearings I49 and I5I, mounted as a unit upon a vertically adjustable plate support I53. To facilitate the vertical adjustment of the support I53, and the better to hold it in adjusted position, one side of the support I53 is provided with a beveled gib I55, Fig. 4, that is mounted in a correspondingly beveled vertical guide groove I51 on the main frame. The vertical adjustment may be effected by a hand wheel I59, Fig. 2, secured to a threaded stem I6I, that is threaded into the plate support I53 atI63 and that is held against vertical movement by collars I65.on the stem I6I disposed on 'aowgmz each sidecf ai-lug lifilprojecting:from'theiframe of the machine. v i

Modifications will occur :to "persons skilled in the art,,and all such are considered to fall within the spirit-andscope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims- What is ,claimed is 1. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a rotary shaft, a concaving cutter mounted on the shaft, means for holding a heel, means for rotating the shaft, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter in a plane, curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of theattaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel from one side of its breast end to the other, the plane of the curved path being substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and the cutter having a cutting edge that, during the cutting operation, cuts into the attaching face through a width greater than half the width of the attaching face.

2. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a pattern having an edge contour corresponding at least in part substantially to the edge contour of the attaching face of a heel, means for actuating the pattern, a guide, means for causing the edge contour of the pattern to follow the guide during the actuation of the pattern, means for causing the heel to be moved with the pattern, a rotary shaft, means for rotating the shaft, and a concaving cutter mounted on the shaft adjacent to the path of movement of the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel, the second-named means causing the attaching face of the heel to be moved in a plane, curved path corresponding to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel, whereby the cutter will produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel from one side of its breast end to the other, the plane of the curved path being substantially perpendicular to the shaft, and the cutter having a cutting edge that, during the cutting operation, cuts into the attaching face through a width greater than half the width of the attaching face.

3. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a concaving cutter, means for holding a heel, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter in a curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along the edge contour thereof from one side of its breast end to the other, the cutter having a cutting edge that, during the cutting operation, cut into the attaching face through a width greater than half the width of the attaching face, and the cutter having an inner flattened portion.

4. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a rotary shaft, a concaving cutter mounted on the shaft, means for holding a heel, means for rotating the shaft, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter in a plane, curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along the edge contour thereof from one side of its breast end to the other, the plane of the curved path being substantially perpendicular to the shaft, the cutter having a cutting edge extending transversely to the shaft a distance greater than half the width of the attaching face of the heel, and the cutter having a flattened'portion in theneighborhoodof the axis of the shaft.

'5. A machine for concaving heelshaving, in combination, 'a concaving cutter, means for holding a heel, means forlactuating the'holdingmeans about the cutter in a curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along its edge contour from one side of its breast end to the other, and means whereby the curves of the cuts produced along the two sides of the heel are caused to merge smoothly.

6. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a rotary shaft having a terminal threaded portion, a collar threaded thereon, a concaving cutter mounted on the collar, means for holding a heel, means for rotating the shaft, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter in a plane, curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along its edge contour from one side of its breast end to the other, the cutter having a cutting edge extending transversely to the shaft a distance greater than half the width of the attaching face of the heel.

7. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a rotary shaft, an anti-friction bearing for the shaft, means for rotating the shaft in the bearing, a concaving cutter mounted on the shaft, means for holding a heel, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter in a plane, curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along its edge contour from one side of its breast end to the other.

8. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a rotary shaft, a concaving cutter mounted on the shaft, means for adjusting the shaft longitudinally, means for holding a heel means for rotating the shaft, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter in a plane, curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along its edge contour from one side of its breast end to the other.

9. A machine for concaving heels having, in combination, a plane support having a portion provided with an opening, a rotary shaft perpendicular to said plane, means for rotating the shaft, a concaving cutter mounted on the shaft and extending through the opening, means for holding a heel, and means for actuating the holding means about the cutter to move the heel over the support in a curved path corresponding at least in part to the edge contour of the attaching face of the heel to cause the cutter to produce a concaving cut in the attaching face of the heel along its edge contour from one side of its breast end to the other.

10. A heel-concaving machine comprising, in combination, cutting means including an endmill. and means for feeding a heel to and over the end-mill, said end-mill having a cutting-edge rotating for cutting action from the rim toward the middle of the concave of the heel.

11. In a machine for concaving wood heels, in combination, a cutter, means for holding a heel, means for actuating one of said members so as to cause the cutter to engage the heel along a path parallel to the edge contour of the heel during which the axis of the cutter is positioned in a plane transverse to said edge contour, the

operative'portion of the profile of the cutter having a straight portion and a curved portion corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the edge portionof the desired cavity to be produced, said operative portion extending across more than half the width of the heel.

WESLEY J. SHAW. 

